A coronavirus to-do list for the pandemic and beyond: First, open our eyes and hearts. – USA TODAY

Donna Brazile, Opinion columnist Published 5:00 a.m. ET May 10, 2020

Diseases dont discriminate. Societies do. We need to keep that in mind when fighting the coronavirus. And while each infectious disease is different, theres one constant: Its the poor who suffer the most.

Thispandemic is showing us what we must do not just now, but going forward by magnifying the inequities of our society.Whether you are more susceptible and more exposed to getting the virus, or dying from it, is very much influenced by what color you are and how much money you have.

Were seeing that disproportionate impact in many ways. Low-income people have less access to testing and health care, more of the chronic health problems that make the virus so deadly, and less ability to shelter in place. They work in places like nursing homes and meat processing plants. They cant telecommute. They have to show up, even if that means risking their health or even their lives.

Then there are the tens of millions who have lost their jobs. Figures compiled by the McKinsey Global Institute showthatthe workershardest hit by the pandemic are those whohave the fewest resources to deal with it.Up to 86%of the initial impact affects jobs that were paying less than $40,000 per year, it says in a new report on the impact of COVID-19on workers.

Within the low income group, African Americans are particularly affected by the disease. Astudy of eight hospitalsin Georgia found that over80% of the COVID-19 patients were black. African Americans are 32% of Georgias population, but as of April 24 had accounted for over 50% of its deathsfrom coronavirus.

Dr. Ala Stanford administers a COVID-19 swab test on Wade Jeffries in the parking lot of Pinn Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia on April 22, 2020.(Photo: Matt Rourke, AP)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month underscored the problems that make racial and ethnic minorities vulnerable to severe disease.It saidAfrican Americans are afflicted with diabetes at a rate that is 66%higher than for white Americans. The rate of hypertension is 49%higher. Rates of cardiovascular disease and obesity are similarly lopsided.

Coronavirus disparities:We know who will pay the price when states reopen before they should

And while the Affordable Care Act rectified some of the inequities in the U.S. health insurance system, the law is being slowly and intentionally eroded by the Trump administration. And its clearly the poor who bear the brunt of the damage.

This disease affects us all, but it does not affect us all equally. In order to address the problem most efficiently, we have to have clear eyes and open hearts, and to recognizewhere the suffering is the most intense. With that in mind, heres a to-do list for fighting the virus and afterward:

Testing! We need to massively ramp up testing and contact tracing, especially among the lower-income populations where the disease is spreading faster. Singapore, which had done such an excellent job of containing the virus, is just now learning a lesson about not paying sufficient attention to the poor. The virus has surged among low-wage migrant workers who live in crowded dormitories. The cases among migrant workers now account for 88%of the infections in Singapore.

Health care now! Health care, especially as it relates to COVID-19, needs to be a national priority, while at the same time, health care costs shouldnt be a burden on those who have contracted the virus. Nobody should be turned away from testing or treatment due to lack of insurance.

Health care forever! Once the crisis has passed, we need to address this countrys long-term health care needs. That will undoubtedly take place within the context of the 2020 election. Even with COVID-19 finally defeated, diabetes, heart diseaseand high blood pressure will still be killers, and too many of our fellow Americans struggle with them.

Jobs! We need to do more than just give a 7 oclock shout-out to the millions of Americans working at jobs from ER worker to nursing home attendant to grocery cashier. If nothing else, this catastrophe has made it clear to us how much we rely on the people who perform these jobs. Its time we address the shocking income disparity in this country, and give them the living wage they deserve.

Voting! Another tragic shortcoming that this crisis has exposed is our lack of a secure and reliable way for everyone in this country who is entitled to vote to be able to vote. We need to dedicate money and resources into making sure that we never repeat the shameful fiasco of this years April 7 Wisconsin primary. At least 67 peoplewho worked or voted in that election have tested positive for COVID-19. We need to make voting by mail a reality. California set the pace last week with plans to mail a November ballot to every registered voter.

Protect employees: Workplaces aren't ready for mass reopening. First we need standards to keep workers safe.

As Fannie Lou Hamer and other civil rights leaders have said, nobody's free until everybody's free.Its easy to see how a similar logic applies to being free of this pandemic. We cant quarantine it within pockets of poverty. Communicable disease will always spread unless it is eradicated. As long as anyone has it, were all in danger of getting it. In order for any of us to truly be free of COVID-19 and future pandemics, we have to make sure that all of us are free from it.

Donna Brazile, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors, is a Fox News contributor,an at-large automatic delegate to the 2020 Democratic convention, former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee and author of "Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns that PutDonald Trump in the White House." Follow her on Twitter:@donnabrazile

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A coronavirus to-do list for the pandemic and beyond: First, open our eyes and hearts. - USA TODAY